


Prospects

by Celandine



Category: Harry Potter - Rowling
Genre: Angst, Community: percy_ficathon, Drama, Epistolary, F/M, First Time, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-10
Updated: 2008-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-12 14:17:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/125748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celandine/pseuds/Celandine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy thinks he's found happiness with Harry, but love doesn't always follow the expected course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Prospects

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jadzialove](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadzialove/gifts).



> Written for jadzialove for the 2008 percy_ficathon. This story demanded to be told in this fashion.

"Hey, Percy." Harry's eyes were very green behind his glasses.

"Hello, Harry." Percy wondered why exactly Harry Potter kept stopping by his office at the end of every day. All they ever did was walk down to the elevator and take the Floo to their respective flats, but Harry's repeated presence was causing Percy's mind to drift into some most inappropriate areas.

He expected Harry's usual cheerful farewell as they went to queue up in different lines at the Ministry Floos, but tonight Harry turned a rather delicious shade of pink and asked, "Would you like to go get a drink somewhere?"

* * *

"Where's that little girl who used to come around to see you?" Augusta Longbottom's voice was thin and scratchy these days but her eyes were sharp as she gazed at Neville.

"Luna's gone, Gran," said Neville patiently, steadying the glass of water for her to sip. "She wanted to see more of the world, and I wanted to stay here and take care of you."

The old lady sniffed. "Couldn't hang on to her, eh?"

Neville just shook his head. There was no point in arguing with his grandmother. He'd been happy enough with Luna, and he thought she had been too, but circumstances were what they were. Neville pushed to the back of his mind what Luna had said to him just before they parted, when she'd tipped her head and given him that peculiarly knowing look she had.

Gran had no need to hear that Luna thought Neville flew on both sides of the broomstick.

* * *

Percy smiled as he rode Harry's cock. He loved the way that Harry looked when he was close to coming – sweaty and tousled and utterly delectably debauched, eyes squeezed shut, hands clenched into the rumpled duvet, skin flushed.

"Come on, yeah, come with me," Percy murmured, squeezing tighter, pumping his own cock hard. He could never have spoken like that to anyone else, but Harry was different, Harry was the only one Percy wanted, and next week he was finally going to tell his family so.

"Oh," choked out Harry. His hips jolted, face contorting in orgasm.

"Yes," Percy hissed in reply, increasing the tempo of his stroke until he came too, splattering semen across Harry's belly. He leaned forward to kiss Harry, but after an instant Harry turned his head away.

"What is it?" Percy asked with concern.

Harry shook his head, his eyes still closed. When he finally opened them to meet Percy's, they were filled with unhappy resolve. "Let me go wash up first," he said quietly.

Harry _never_ cared about cleaning up immediately after sex. Percy frowned as he listened to Harry splashing water into the basin, and cast cleaning charms on himself and the bed. He put on fresh underwear and was just tying the belt of his favourite dressing gown when Harry returned.

Except for bare feet, Harry had dressed completely. He'd even dampened his hair and combed it, and his expression was serious behind his glasses. Percy resettled his own spectacles absentmindedly.

"So what's going on? Work sending you away again? I'll miss you, of course." Percy tried to speak lightly.

"Come here." Harry perched on the bed, half-turned with one knee pulled up and his arms wrapped around it. Percy sat down next to him. "I can't do this anymore." Harry's voice was soft, pained. "I can't live this life. I want a family, kids, not to have to go sneaking around the way we've been doing for two years." He held up a hand to stop Percy from speaking. "I know that _you're_ ready to tell people now, but I'm not. I never will be. I'm sorry."

It was as if ice were sliding down his back. Percy trembled. How could this have happened? All this time, he'd been happy. He'd thought Harry was too.

With an effort he spoke, hearing his voice as if it were someone else's. "You'd better leave, then."

"Percy..." Harry touched Percy's knee, and Percy stiffened.

"Get. Out." Percy forced the words through clenched teeth. "Now."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry swallow and nod.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "I'm really sorry, Perce."

Even after he'd heard the door close behind Harry for the last time, Percy still sat on the bed, staring blindly, disregarding the tears that trickled down his face and fogged up his glasses.

* * *

On the anniversary of the day that Harry left him, Percy threw away the toothbrush and the old t-shirt that Harry had used to sleep in when he was willing to stay overnight. He boxed up the wine glasses that Harry had given him for his birthday and took them to the secondhand shop off Diagon Alley. He bought himself a new set of plain glass instead of cut crystal.

* * *

This was what he wanted, Harry told himself each time he kissed Ginny. An uncomplicated life. He wanted a proper home and children and a wife who adored him. He fumbled at her knickers, a part of him still always surprised at how wet she was, how easily she slipped around him. Her smile was confident, and Harry pushed all his doubts and regrets aside to smile back and say, "Will you marry me, Ginny?"

* * *

"Of _course_ I'm going to invite Percy." Ginny's eyebrows went up. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," said Harry lamely. "Just doesn't seem like his sort of thing, I suppose."

Ginny laughed. "Don't be silly. An engagement party? Percy's always been a stickler for the formalities, and you can't get much more formal than this. Anyhow, it would hurt him very much not to be asked. You know how happy he was to be part of the family again."

"I suppose you're right." Harry kissed her, trying hard to shut away the memory of Percy's mouth against his own. _This_ was right, _this_ was what he wanted. He was sure of it.

* * *

The brown delivery owl tapped at the glass and dropped the card on Percy's table, hooting when Percy tossed it an Owl Treat, then soaring away again to make its next delivery.

 _The honour of your presence is requested  
to help celebrate the engagement of  
Ginevra Molly Weasley  
and  
Harry James Potter_

Saturday 16 August 2003  
At two o'clock in the afternoon

The favour of a reply is requested.

Percy recognised Ginny's untidy sprawl at the end.

 _I especially want you there, Percy – it'll mean a lot to me._

He had to go. He'd managed to scrape together excuses to avoid seeing Harry more than twice in the past year, ever since Harry had taken up with Ginny again, but if he refused to go to this, not only Ginny but Percy's mum and probably the rest of the family would never forgive him. He wondered with a sharp ache if Harry had ever told Ginny that he _wasn't_ , after all, the perfect straight boyfriend she thought him.

* * *

"Come on, Percy, you haven't congratulated the happy couple yet." George shepherded his brother across the room.

Awkwardly, Percy embraced his only sister and pecked her on the cheek. "I hope you'll be as happy as you deserve to be, Gin," he said. Then he forced himself to hold out his hand to Harry. "The same goes for you, of course, Harry."

Duty done, he escaped to the far side of the crowded room and nursed a melancholy cup of his mother's best punch. It would look terrible if he left so soon, little though he wanted to stay.

"Odd man out, too?" Neville Longbottom gave Percy a half-smile. "I'm not entirely sure why I was invited myself, except that they seem to have asked _everyone_ , haven't they?"

Percy nodded absently, keeping his eyes turned away from Harry with fierce resolution.

Neville stood and chatted with him for a while longer, making occasional observations about the other guests: penetrating, but always good-natured. When Neville finished his drink and made as if to move off, Percy touched his sleeve and said, simply, "Thanks."

Neville shrugged and nodded and walked away.

* * *

Neville hadn't had a wet dream in years. When he woke up with sticky thighs and belly, he dismissed it as a consequence of the fact that Luna had been gone for so long – could it really be nearly two years already? – and he hadn't really bothered trying to meet anyone new. Perhaps he should just wank a little more often.

The incident was repeated several times, however, even though Neville did take more care to satisfy his obviously overactive libido while he was awake, and finally he began to try consciously to remember what it was he was dreaming about to provoke this reaction.

It was difficult – remembering his dreams did not come naturally to Neville – but after a couple of weeks he had pretty well determined that he was dreaming about a man, not a woman. He wasn't sure if it was always the same man or not, but whoever he was, Neville was disconcerted to realise that he had red hair. He didn't want to think that he was dreaming about Ron; he liked Ron as a friend just fine, but Ron and Hermione were perfectly happy together and Ron had never given even a hint that he might have any latent liking for blokes. Perhaps it was just Neville's subconscious being peculiar.

* * *

  
 _Percy walked down the corridors at the Ministry, carrying a stack of important folders. He was supposed to have them on the Minister's desk, but the signs had all been switched around and he couldn't find the right office in the maze of corridors. He started to hurry, looking into each room as he passed it, hoping to get directions, but they were all empty._   


* * *

18 July 2004

Dear Neville,

Tibet has been marvellous; you would be amazed at the number of unusual magical animals and plants here, most of which aren't known in the West at all. I've enclosed seeds of various plants that I thought might be interesting or useful for you. They all like cold and dry conditions, as you might expect. I'll stop by and explain what each of them is next time I'm in England, this autumn perhaps.

Be well, Neville, and I hope you find him soon.

Fondly yours, Luna

* * *

Although he knew his father wouldn't understand, Neville felt compelled to give him the news in person anyhow.

"She died last night," he said, picking up Frank's unresponsive hand and holding it. "Painlessly in her sleep."

His mother stood next to them, her head tipped a little to one side, almost as if she were listening.

"The funeral will be Saturday," Neville said. "They won't let you be there, I'm afraid, but I'll come by and see you afterward."

As he was leaving, Alice came up and pressed a gum wrapper into his hand.

* * *

6 October 2004

Harry,

To prevent any future misunderstanding, I'm writing to reiterate what I said at that lunch you inveigled me into today. My answer to your request is no. I have too much respect for both myself and my sister, even if you have not, for a different answer ever to be possible.

P. W.

* * *

Neville sold the house less than two months after his grandmother's death. He had never particularly liked it, and he certainly wasn't going to live there on his own, rattling about in such a gloomy dingy old place. Instead he bought a piece of land not far from the Diggorys', and built – or rather had built, since despite his green thumb he was mechanically inept – three greenhouses.

After the isolation of his years living with his Gran, though, Neville opted to rent a tiny flat in wizarding London. He might spend most of the day, even at weekends, working in the greenhouses, but it was nice to know that he had the option to go out occasionally as well.

It wasn't a very large building, only six flats, and during his second week of residence Neville met one of his neighbours.

He spotted the other wizard juggling a satchel and three carrier bags, one evening when he himself had gone to fetch takeaway for his dinner, and hurried up the street to open the door.

"Is that you, Neville?"

Neville then actually looked at the face of the man he was helping, and realised it was Percy Weasley, whom he hadn't seen since Ron and Hermione's wedding.

"You live here, too?" Neville finally got the door unlocked. "I just moved in last week."

"I've lived here for a few years. It's quite nice on the whole."

Neville nodded at Percy's bags. From the smell he guessed they held contents similar to his own. "I'm eating by myself, too; care to join me?"

The offer seemed to startle Percy. "I suppose, if you're sure. Although I can't stay too long, as I need to read through these files before tomorrow. You must be in number four?"

"Yes," said Neville.

"I'm in number five, on the top floor. Let me just go put this in my flat and I'll stop by in a few minutes."

"Great," said Neville, suddenly eager to have someone with whom he could share a meal and some conversation.

* * *

1 March 2005

Dear Luna,

I have no idea when or where this letter will find you, of course – you travel around so much – but I wanted to thank you for the various seeds and cuttings you've been sending. I've lost a few, but most are thriving in one or the other of the greenhouses and I've been able to identify nearly all of the newest ones. The last few will wait until you happen to be in Britain again.

The new greenhouses are a few miles away from Ottery St. Catchpole, the same area where the Diggorys and the Weasleys live, but I've rented a flat in London to live in.

Speaking of which, it's turned out that Percy Weasley is one of my neighbours there. Since we both live alone, we've been having dinner together once or twice a week. It's rather nice to have company that's of one's own choosing.

I hope that wherever you are, you're enjoying it as much as you hoped, and I do look forward to seeing you. Perhaps this summer?

Yours affectionately, Neville

* * *

Neville had forgotten his cardigan. It hung on the back of the kitchen chair he'd been sitting in while they ate dinner together. Percy picked it up, hesitated, and then lifted it to his face, inhaling Neville's scent. It made him feel odd and furtive, as if he were somehow taking advantage of Neville without his knowledge, but surely it harmed no one. Percy breathed in and out a few times more. He had just reluctantly decided that he ought to take it downstairs to Neville's flat when there was a knock on the door.

"Did I forget my..." Neville began when Percy opened the door, still carrying the cardigan. "I see you found it."

Percy nodded and passed it over, his fingers brushing Neville's briefly as he did so.

"Thanks." Neville flashed a shy smile. "Perennially absent-minded, that's me. Sorry to bother you."

"No trouble," Percy managed to say, but when Neville had gone again, he leaned against the door frame and trembled.

* * *

"I don't want to settle down. If I could have gone travelling with Luna, I would have, but Gran needed me." Neville said it simply, without self-pity. "And by the time she died, I realised that I did need to do something useful, something I would enjoy, to make my living. Hence the plant business. What I hope is that in a couple of years it will be doing well enough that I can hire someone to do part of the work, and then I can travel a bit, looking for new specimens." He laughed a little self-consciously. "So that's my dream. What would you like to be able to do? If you could achieve your greatest goal?"

"I always wanted to become Minister of Magic," Percy said. "Not just Minister, but the youngest Minister ever." His voice was tight with frustration and regret. "That will never happen now."

"Do you still want it, really?" Neville asked gently.

Percy sighed. "I don't know. It's hard to give up a dream that you've had all your life, but I don't know any more if it's one that would make me happy."

Looking at Percy's face, the beginnings of lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes which were difficult to see because of his freckled skin and the frames of his spectacles, Neville felt a sudden urge to put his arms around Percy and assure him that he _wasn't_ a failure if he didn't become Minister, and that surely there were other things that could make him happy.

* * *

 _Births_

On the 7th June, 2005, at St. Mungo's, to Ginevra and Harry Potter, a son, James Sirius.

Percy folded up the morning _Prophet_ and tossed it in the rubbish bin. It wasn't as if he hadn't known of the forthcoming happy event.

* * *

"It's my birthday on Saturday," Neville mentioned one evening to Percy.

"Oh? Are you doing anything special to celebrate?"

"I hadn't really thought about it." Neville laughed. "Gran was not exactly the birthday party-giving sort, not after I was very young, anyhow. I know. I'll get a bottle of good whisky and you can come over and help me drink it, how does that sound?"

"I'm not that much of a drinker," Percy began doubtfully, but seeing the disappointment on Neville's face, he said, "but why not. Just don't get Ogden's. I can't stand the stuff."

On Saturday they were halfway through the bottle when Neville blurted out the question. "Do you not fancy girls at all? Only in all these months I've never heard you talk about anyone you were dating."

Percy turned scarlet.

"I'm sorry," said Neville, immediately contrite. "It's not my business. I just –" _wondered_ , he meant to say, but the word that actually came out of his mouth was, "hoped."

Percy swallowed. "You hoped?" he asked cautiously.

Now it was Neville's turn to blush at having made such an unintentional admission. "I, well, it's hard to explain. I think I've mentioned that I used to see Luna, Luna Lovegood, if you remember her? She was a Ravenclaw, a year below me at school. Travelling around the world these days."

Frowning, Percy asked, "And...?"

"And before she left, she told me that she thought I might like men as well as or better than women. Which I didn't, then, not consciously anyhow, but I haven't been able to forget the idea... especially around you," he finished, almost whispering the words.

He wondered why Percy's eyes seemed larger than he'd ever noticed before, blinking a little owlishly at Neville from behind horn-rimmed frames, but then he realised that it was because Percy's face was closer to his own than it had ever been before, and Percy was asking, with a little tremor in his voice, "Do you mean that?"

* * *

9 September 2005

Dear Neville,

He's been hurt before. Be patient.

With love,  
Luna

* * *

"I've never done this before," whispered Neville huskily against the skin of Percy's neck. "Only with girls."

"I know. It's all right," Percy assured him. He stroked Neville's chest through his shirt and jumper. Funny, he still had a mental image of Neville as the plump schoolboy he'd been, but all the hard physical labour in the greenhouses had actually given Neville a very nicely muscled body, much more conventionally attractive then Percy's own skinny frame. "I promise we'll only do whatever you're comfortable with right now."

Neville smiled at him, his eyes wide and filled with trust and desire. "I know, Percy."

They spent a long time, then, simply kissing and exploring each other's bodies, gradually removing one piece of clothing after another as it got in their way, until at last they were both naked, lying face-to-face on Percy's bed, and Percy had cupped one hand around Neville's cock and balls. Neville murmured with pleasure as Percy touched him.

"Neville?"

"Yes?" Neville's breath hitched.

"May I suck you off? You needn't reciprocate if you don't want to," Percy added a little stiffly.

"I'd like to try, I think, although I probably won't be any good at it," Neville said. He touched Percy's cheek. "I've dreamt about doing it."

"Let me do it to you first." Percy kissed Neville's fingers. "It's been a long time and I'm probably out of practice anyhow."

Neville laughed a little. "It's been a long time for me too. I'm not going to be particular about your technique."

Percy took off his thoroughly-smudged glasses and put them aside, beginning to mouth his way down Neville's body, listening to the small sounds Neville made to decide whether to linger over a nipple or tug at a tuft of brown hair. Neville's cock had leaked drops of salty pre-come across his stomach, and Percy licked them up before taking the head into his mouth, using his hands to move the foreskin further down. Already Neville's bollocks were high and tight against the base of his prick.

"Oh – _Percy_ ," Neville groaned, his fingers running through Percy's short hair. "God, I'm going to –"

He didn't even say "come" before he had, pulsing bitter into Percy's mouth. Percy swallowed; the taste went away faster that way, he'd learned by experience, and it wasn't a flavour he much liked although he quite enjoyed sucking cock otherwise.

"I'm sorry," Neville mumbled as Percy sat up, wiping his mouth. "I don't usually come that fast. I feel like a teenager again."

"Don't be sorry. It's not as if we haven't plenty of time to practise." Percy put his fingers against Neville's lips. "Years, I hope."

"Yes," Neville nodded. Tentatively then he reached for Percy's cock. "I do want to..."

Percy lay down, spreading his thighs to let Neville kneel between them, bowing his head and pressing open-mouthed kisses along the length of Percy's prick, which twitched and jumped at the no-longer-familiar sensation. When Neville sucked at the tip, dipping his tongue into the slit and then swirling it around, Percy said, "That's brilliant, Neville, it's lovely."

Encouraged, Neville tried taking in more, although he could only manage about half without gagging, and quickly stopped there, instead using his hand to rub the lower part, slick with his saliva.

"That's lovely," Percy repeated, and then hummed as Neville's thumb caressed his bollocks. " _Yes_. God, there, yes, I'm close..." he warned.

Neville stayed on his cock, kept sucking, and Percy let himself go, trying not to thrust too hard into Neville's warm soft mouth as he came.

"Are you all right?" he asked a little anxiously as Neville choked and sputtered and came up with his eyes streaming. "I did try to warn you."

"I'm fine," Neville said. He'd spit out his mouthful into his hand. "Except, um..."

Percy found his wand on the night stand and cast a cleaning charm, leaving them both dry and the sheets unsticky. "It's all right. I don't much like the taste myself."

"Oh good." Neville looked relieved. "I did like doing it."

"You were marvellous, especially for a first time," Percy assured him, and Neville's face broke into a wide smile.

"Thank you." He put his arms around Percy and they held each other through the long solstice night.

* * *

"It's a gorgeous flat," said Luna to Neville, looking around at the many plants – Neville's – and many books – Percy's – that filled the airy living room.

"We like it," Neville said, slipping his hand in Percy's.

They had invited all their friends and family to their flat-warming party, but Neville was especially glad that Luna happened to be home from South America and able to come.

Luna looked at Percy. "He'll be the right one for you."

"I know," Percy replied. His fingers tightened on Neville's as Luna moved on to talk to Hermione and Harry and Ginny arrived.

"Percy," said Ginny, with some difficulty hugging first him and then Neville, as Harry hung back. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you." Percy smiled. "The new baby's due in only a couple of weeks, right? I'm happy for the two of you, too."

Harry searched Percy's face, which reflected a contentment he'd never seen before. "Thank you, Percy," he said softly, the first words he'd said to Percy in almost two years.

Neville turned to Percy as Harry and Ginny went over to the drinks table, and kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Percy said. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."


End file.
